Scottish Executive

Central Heating

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16343 by Jackie Baillie on 16 August 2001, on what date it expects to make an announcement regarding an extension of its central heating programme.

Jackie Baillie: I announced how the programme was to be extended on 21 September.

European Funding

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the disbursement of Urban 2 funding to Port Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire.

Angus MacKay: The European Commission is considering our proposal for Urban 2 funding for the Clyde Urban Waterfront Regeneration Zone (Port Glasgow and Clydebank). I understand that the programme is likely to be approved around the end of November. This should allow implementation in the area to start early in the New Year.

European Funding

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with Inverclyde Council concerning Urban 2 funding for projects in Port Glasgow and whether any projects have been identified and approved to receive funding under this initiative.

Angus MacKay: We await European Commission approval of the programme. Officials from the Scottish Executive European Structural Funds Division have had a series of discussions with opposite numbers for both Inverclyde and West Dunbartonshire Councils to prepare for implementation early in the new year. It is at the implementation stage that projects are identified for support.

Finance

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has received from Her Majesty’s Government regarding the amount of Scottish Block grant that will be available to it in 2002-03 following the deduction of the Scotland Office budget for that year.

Angus MacKay: The baselines for 2002-03 are set out in the Draft Budget Document I published on 20 September, and in the UK Estimates. Copies of this document are available in the Parliament’s reference centre (Bib. no. 16314).

Finance

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18253 by Angus Mackay on 19 September 2001, where in the level 3 budget for administration the end year flexibility award of £24.8 million will be allocated.

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18253 by Angus Mackay on 19 September 2001, where in the level 3 budget for culture and sport the end year flexibility award of £6.3 million will be allocated.

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18253 by Angus Mackay on 19 September 2001, where in the level 3 budget for education the end year flexibility award of £101.9 million will be allocated.

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18253 by Angus Mackay on 19 September 2001, where in the level 3 budget for enterprise and lifelong learning the end year flexibility award of £35.8 million will be allocated.

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18253 by Angus MacKay on 19 September 2001, where in the level 3 budget for health the end year flexibility award of £159.4 million will be allocated.

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18253 by Angus MacKay on 19 September 2001, where in the level 3 budget for environment and rural affairs the end year flexibility award of £66.8 million will be allocated.

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18253 by Angus MacKay on 19 September 2001, where in the level 3 budget for social justice the end year flexibility award of £131.4 million will be allocated.

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18253 by Angus MacKay on 19 September 2001, where in the level 3 budget for justice the end year flexibility award of £48.7 million will be allocated.

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18253 by Angus MacKay on 19 September 2001, where in the level 3 budget for transport the end year flexibility award of £32.1 million will be allocated.

Angus MacKay: The supporting documentation for the autumn budget revision, that I will lay in Parliament in early November, will show the allocation of end year flexibility. This revision will come to the Finance Committee for scrutiny and approval.

Finance

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-18253 by Angus MacKay on 19 September 2001, whether it will give a breakdown of the social justice underspend of £121.9 million in 2000-01.

Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive Accounts will provide this information. Audit Scotland are currently auditing the accounts and they will be laid before Parliament by January 2002.

Housing

John Young (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on Glasgow City Council’s proposal to demolish high rise blocks, outlined in its report Housing Plan 2001 Draft for Consultation – Preparing Together for Glasgow’s Future in Housing.

Ms Margaret Curran: We look forward to seeing the conclusions from the council’s consultation in due course. Glasgow City Council has also recently decided to proceed to consultation on Glasgow Housing Association’s transfer proposal, which includes proposals to undertake, in consultation with local communities, the demolition of up to around 11,000 existing houses by 2009. I would also draw attention to the Scottish Executive’s recent announcement that if transfer proceeds additional resources of over £400 million will be made available for social housing in the city. Together with existing resources, this will support the provision of 13,000 additional houses of social rent in the city over the 10 years following transfers.

Recycling

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage the recycling of beverage containers.

Rhona Brankin: The Executive is currently consulting on proposals to increase the recovery and recycling targets for packaging waste materials for 2002 from the existing targets of 56 per cent recovery and 18 per cent material-specific recycling to 61 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively. The consultation document has been posted on the Executive’s website at www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations/environment/pwc-00.asp . This will encourage the recycling of all packaging waste including beverage containers.

Recycling

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets have been set for the recycling of beverage containers

Rhona Brankin: There are no targets for beverage containers as such. There are, however, recovery and recycling targets for the materials from which beverage containers are made. These are currently 56 per cent recovery and 18 per cent for material-specific recycling. The Executive is currently consulting industry on proposals to increase the targets for 2002 to 61 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively. The consultation document has been posted on the Executive’s website at:

  www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations/environment/pwc-00.asp.

Social Inclusion Partnerships

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what replacement funding will be provided to organisations following the conclusion of the Social Inclusion Partnership Initiative.

Ms Margaret Curran: Following our recent decision to extend the life of the nine Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) who were former Regeneration Programmes and five other SIPs, no SIPs now have designations due to expire before 31 March 2004. It would be premature to prejudge at this stage the circumstances that might apply in 2004 and beyond.

Social Inclusion Partnerships

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities will retain social inclusion partnership status until March 2004.

Ms Margaret Curran: Social Inclusion Partnerships with designations due to end in March 2004 are located in the following local authority areas:

  Argyll and Bute Council, City of Edinburgh Council, Clackmannanshire Council, Dundee City Council, East Ayrshire Council, East Renfrewshire Council, East Lothian Council, Falkirk Council, Fife Council, Glasgow City Council, Highland Council, Moray Council, North Ayrshire Council, North Lanarkshire Council, Perth and Kinross Council, Scottish BORDERs Council, South Lanarkshire Council, Stirling Council, and West Lothian Council.

Water Industry

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether mutualisation has been or will be considered as an option for the water industry.

Ross Finnie: In his evidence to the Transport and Environment Committee on 28 February this year, the then Minister for the Environment, Sam Galbraith, said "Mutualisation has undoubtedly proved a successful model in many areas of service delivery, but I do not think that it is appropriate for the water industry in Scotland. It was one of the options considered and rejected in the 1997 review, and the reasons for its rejection then remain just as valid today." This remains the Executive’s view.